


Behind the Dumpster

by Vince_ible



Series: Happy Endings [4]
Category: Invincible (Image Comics)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Sad with a Happy Ending, Superheroes, Superheroes interacting with children, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21947809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vince_ible/pseuds/Vince_ible
Summary: "It's a bit cold to be all alone outside," observed Markus, touching down softly to the ground. "Let alone on Christmas Eve."No sooner had he spoke, than the two girls disappeared. They scampered out of sight, hiding amongst the snow-battered boxes and the old dumpsters. The only clue to their whereabouts was the sound of their worn sneakers scuffing against cement.(Short drabble in which Markus/Marky briefly interacts with some younger fans of his. Heed the tags.)
Series: Happy Endings [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1512656
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Behind the Dumpster

**Author's Note:**

> Just to clarify, this is from the POV of an older Marky/Markus Jr./Kid-Invincible. He's roughly in his teen years right now and going by "Markus"/"Invincible". Invincible doesn't have a whole lot of scenes where Mark interacts with civilians, so I'd like to think that his son would be different in that way. I wrote this for fun as a Christmas thing but it can technically be read at any time. It also sort of parallels "Take to the Sky", but only if you squint. Meh.

**Behind the Dumpster**

* * *

"It's a bit cold to be all alone outside," observed Markus, touching down softly to the ground. "Let alone on Christmas Eve."

No sooner had he spoke, than the two girls disappeared. They scampered out of sight, hiding amongst the snow-battered boxes and the old dumpsters. The only clue to their whereabouts was the sound of their worn sneakers scuffing against cement. In her haste to escape, one of the girls lost a shoe right beside a dumpster, its blue paint cracked by the passage of time. Underneath its chipped coating the metal was rusted, warped, and sharp along its edges, particularly around the loose-hanging lid and corners.

No place for a child to shelter.

This would require a more patient approach. Markus took a slow and steady step, not wanting to spook them further. Something scraped over the pavement. His head tilted in the opposite direction but his eyes stayed locked on the dumpster, unseen beneath ovals of polarized glass.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

Despite his attempt at comfort, the call came across as awkward and somewhat forced. At that precise moment, his voice box had decided to croak, making his words clipped and high. Wincing at the crack of his own voice, Markus opted for a different strategy.

He knelt in the centre of the alleyway, head lowered. In the dark he could hear them shifting. He was utterly still, breathing only for the girls' benefit. Humans often got uneasy when he forgot to exercise his lungs. Another shuffle sounded to his right, then a gasp.

"Claire! It's Invincible!"

Markus dared to lift his gaze. Four brown eyes peered back at him, bright with the sight of him. Like frightened animals, the girls began to extricate themselves from a pile of snow-soaked cardboard that they had leaning against the dumpster. He pretended not to notice the ugly blue bruise blooming over the older one's face. She already seemed self-conscious about it enough, constantly covering the puffiness of her cheek. Markus' chest ached.

"Yay!" the youngest cheered quietly. "Now we have someone to beat-"

"Hush Sam," hissed the second girl, the one called Claire. She fixed her eyes on Markus, squinting through the inflamed skin on her right. Shrewd as she seemed, there was also a hopefulness there, a hopefulness that Markus didn't want to betray. Sometimes kids needed a superhero. Not to beat up bad guys, or to save them from falling, but to make them feel better about themselves, to tell them it would all be OK. "Are you really Invincible?"

"Yeah," chuckled Markus. "That's me."

"Prove it," Claire blurted.

At first Markus considered lifting the dumpster, but later settled upon a less frightening show of his power. The girls gasped as he rose into the air, light as a helium balloon. For a few seconds he stayed suspended above them, before lowering himself to the ground again. Sam instantly threw himself into his arms. Claire approached after her, still shy, but more confident than before.

"Why are you two out here?" Markus asked as he rubbed the younger girl's back. "Don't you have a family to be getting to? It's almost Christmas. They're sure to be worried about you."

"Our parents hate us," Sam huffed into his chest. Claire looked off to the side but didn't deny her sister's claim. The angle of her head concealed the bruise but for a moment.

This wasn't just a supervillain Markus could punch, and that frustrated him beyond description.

"I'm sure your parents don't _hate_ you," said Markus dubiously, though Claire's bruise did little to convince him otherwise. "Tell you what, I can take you to some people that can take care of you until this whole thing is sorted. That way you don't have to go home."

"We'd like that," Claire whispered. "It's cold." For the first time, Markus noticed the chatter of her teeth and the shivering in her shoulders.

Markus hoisted Sam into his arms and mused, "I don't have any Christmas gifts to give you, but would a ride there make up for it?"

The dual grins he got in return were all the answer he needed.

It was an uneventful flight, but then, these girls had probably dealt with enough for the night. Sam kept her eyes focused on the horizon, as if hoping for a glimpse of Santa himself. Claire clung tight to his shoulder. She shook constantly, either from the cold, the height, or both. Gradually, though, they both began to ease up. Sam giggled as Markus sped up, and Claire let a squeal escape when he did a loop-de-loop.

"Stop that!"

"I'm not going to drop you," he said mischievously. "And even if I did, I'd catch you."

"The News never mentioned what a brat you are."

"Call me a brat again and maybe I _will_ drop you..."

Overhearing them, Sam whipped her head around suddenly. "You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?" he cackled.

Through Sam's indignant gasp and Claire's disbelieving grumbles, Markus could see the flash of their teeth. They were only a few minutes away from the Agency building. At this altitude the air was frigid, but Markus' body temperature kept them warm. Sam snuggled into him and Claire closed her eyes against the wind. All of their fear was forgotten, replaced by snickers and smiles.

Just like children at Christmas should be.

* * *

**End**


End file.
